ACCORDING TO THE EXPERTS FOLKLORE ART IS ALREADY INTERPRETED IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT IN THE 20TH CENTURY
08 May 2023
VARNA,
05/06/2023 12:03
(BTA)
The concert-performance Traditions in Rhythm and Creativity will mark the 25th anniversary from the establishment of the Academic Dance Theater of Varna Free University (VFU) "Chernorizets Hrabar". The event, organized jointly with the Municipality of Varna, will be held on Europe Day, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Palace of Culture and Sports in Varna. It will feature more than 350 performers of various ages, presenting the best of the Academic Dance Theatre's repertoire.
Special guests will be the National Folklore Ensemble "Filip Kutev", Professional Folklore Ensemble "Strandja", the Voice of Bulgaria Petya Paneva and dance ensembles from all over Bulgaria, whose managers are graduates from Choreography at VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar"
On the eve of the concert, the lecturers from the Choreography specialty of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" answered questions from BTA about their work with the Academic Dance Theater, the importance of training for the realization of young people, the development of folklore in our country. The interview was attended by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ivaylo Ivanov, who is also the director of Artistic and Creative Activities at Varna Free University, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Maria Kardzhieva - scientific secretary of the Department of Arts, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Katya Kayryakova.
What is the origin of the name of the Academic Dance Theater? What activities do you develop in it?
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Ivanov: The name comes from the fact that dance is a type of performing art. This also determines the repertoire policy. There is a difference with the ensembles in the country, which mainly present small forms with dancing without thematic or plotting of the works. The creative pursuits of the team of the Academic Dance Theater are directed not only to traditional themes, but also to the modern view of dance.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Kardzhieva: The characteristic of the theater is, of course, dramaturgy. The Academic Dance Theater develops educational and creative activity, the repertoire policy is focused on the creation of effective dance forms, inspired by the rich folklore culture of Bulgaria.
Assoc. Prof. Katya KayryakovaThis is the creative laboratory for the students majoring in Choreography. In it, they realize their course projects, create works in various dance forms. The works in the active forms of dance are predominant. They have a plot and are thematic, with constructed artistic images and dance dramaturgy. Their presence also determines the connection with theatrical art.
What specialists are trained in it and where are they realized professionally? How do dance theater rehearsals contribute to the training and preparation of young people?
Assoc.Prof. Ivaylo Ivanov: The work at the Academic Dance Theater is professional. Rehearsals with the students happen daily for three hours in the hall, followed by lectures. What our graduates learn theoretically is immediately transferred to the rehearsal room. The combination of study and practical work is a unique chance that students are aware of and they work extremely hard. Students leave the university as ready-made specialists in the field of dance art and never break the connection with the lecturers and the university.
Assoc. Prof.Katya Kayryakova: The Academic Dance Theater is attended by students who have proven their performance qualities and skills to the highest degree. Knowledge in all aspects of the "choreographer" profession, including one about creative, staging, teaching and leading dance ensembles is accumulated in the four-year study course. The percentage of realization of our graduates as managers of ensembles, teachers in secondary education, performers in dance formations is high. The participation of students in the Academic Dance Theater improves their dance skills, gives them the opportunity to realize creative ideas and provides an opportunity to work in a real environment.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Kardzhieva: The task of creating an effective dance work is difficult. It is necessary to precisely combine many components in accordance with the principles and laws of choreographic composition and direction. The most important part is the performers, who must be good dancers and artists, and these qualities and skills are built with great effort in the rehearsal room. At the university, our students have the opportunity to realize their creative projects and experiment under our guidance. The study course is Choreographic Composition and Directing and it is studied throughout the four-year period of study. The other courses in the curriculum of future choreographers complement the development of the competence profile. The statistics for the last ten years show more than 90 percent realization of the students.
Is there interest among young people in folklore? Are future directors and choreographers breaking tradition through their contemporary interests?
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Ivanov: The interest in folklore is high today, it can be said that young people are "infected". It is now fashionable to wear a folk costume and know the most popular people. There is a tendency to modernize, but there is also a danger of not getting lost, so we thoroughly discuss with the students their ideas, concept, the use of modern dance techniques. It is good that they first learn to handle the pure folk sample and then consciously resort to stylization.
Assoc. Prof.Katya Kayryakova: It can definitely be said that there is a marked interest among young people in folklore, because it affirms the Bulgarian identity, the dignity of the individual and of large communities. Our students are motivated young people who want to dedicate their entire professional life to folk dance art. In the creation of each of their works, the aspiration to have an aesthetic and emotional impact, and to create delight in the audience, shines through. As young people of today, they use the whole arsenal of means of expression of our time and new technologies.
Assoc. Prof. Maria Kardzhieva: Yes, there is an interest in folklore, which is visible. Modernization is a natural process, somewhat related to the perception of the public and the global time in which we live. The very act of putting folklore on stage is a modern step, a breakthrough that must be done by experienced specialists who know how to preserve the style and character of the original image. And since the square of the past, the gatherings for work and talk, the harvest, they are all long gone, we bring to the stage the authentic environment that no longer exists. Today, folklore art is beginning to be interpreted in a new way, different from the one imposed in the 20th century. The important thing is to preserve the folklore and preserve the artistic aesthetics of the stage.
Is this the way to preserve traditions?
Assoc. Prof. Ivaylo Ivanov: Yes, this is the way to preserve the tradition. We have to work with young people. We need to provoke them to search for knowledge, to find the answer to the question "Who are we?".
Assoc. Prof. Katya Kayryakova: It can be said that the training in Choreography takes place in two ways. On the one hand, we teachers provide knowledge about the traditional folklore samples that have reached us, and on the other hand, leaning on the tradition, the students have the opportunity to realize their fantasies in creating an aesthetically sound dance art. But the words of Philip Kutev should always resonate with all of us - "Folklore is a simple thing, but it takes a lot of intelligence to understand it".
Assoc. Prof. Maria Kardzhiev: Everyone finds their own way to tradition, but it is important to understand it, to define themselves. This is our way, through education and creative activity. We received and reasserted our place in Varna Free University and weave science, education and creativity into one. We pass on to the younger generation what we have learned from the pioneers of folklore. We are obliged because we are Bulgarians. And I think are successful, our work has proved it.
The history of the Academic Dance Theater began in 1998. Three years after the start of choreography studies at Varna Free University, the student ensemble "Akademika" was created. Creators and inspirations of the specialty and the composition are Prof. Petar Angelov - a doyen and classic in the choreography of stage dances based on folklore and Prof. D.Sc. Anna Nedyalkova, now the chairperson of the Board of Trustees of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar". This was followed by participation in university events, concerts in the city, the folk dance performance "You Lovely Red Wine" in 2001 choreographed and directed by Prof. Petar Angelov. This was followed by trips to Hungary, Syria, Turkey, Germany and participation in the prestigious national forum for professional folk art in Pazardzhik in 2007.
At the suggestion of Prof. Angelov, the Academic Council of VFU "Chernorizets Hrabar" decided in 2008 to establish an Academic Dance Theater. This marks a new beginning of educational and creative activity with professional practice and active concert activity. The first production "Shopski Dances" by Prof. Angelov became one of the unique titles of the dance theater.
Prof. Angelov, Maria Kardzhieva and Ivaylo Ivanov created the academic reading of the performance "You Lovely, Red Wine" in 2012. The performance is studied today in higher education institutions teaching in the field of folk choreography, as a model for dance dramaturgy based on folklore.
The Academic Dance Theater at VFU has concerts in the country, participates in student festivals and various creative forums. In 2018, it was presented for the second time at the Professional Folk Art Festival with the dance performance "Dance Comes from the Soul", composed entirely of works by Prof. Angelov from the Varna region, and received excellent reviews from the choreographic guild.